1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for teaching a carrier means for carrying a carrier container, in a substrate processing apparatus configured for carrying the carrier container storing therein a plurality of substrates into the interior of the apparatus, taking out each substrate from the carrier container, then providing a process to the substrate. This invention also relates to a storage medium for storing the above method therein, as well as relates to the substrate processing apparatus.
2. Background Art
As one example of semiconductor manufacturing apparatuses, a batch-type vertical substrate processing apparatus configured for providing a heating process, e.g., an oxidizing process and/or film-forming process, to multiple sheets of substrates, e.g., semiconductor wafers (hereinafter, referred to as “wafers”), is known. An internal space of such an apparatus is divided, by partition walls or the like, into a working area for carrying closed-type carriers, each storing therein the multiple sheets, e.g., 25 sheets, of wafers, into the interior of the apparatus, a loading area for loading or transferring the wafers stored in each carrier onto a wafer boat, and a space for installing therein a heating furnace adapted for heating the wafers. To the partition wall located on the side of the working area, tables, each used for placing one carrier thereon, are provided as transfer stages. In this case, once one of the carriers is placed on one of the transfer stages, each wafer will be taken out from the carrier by a transfer mechanism provided on the side of the loading area. In this way, the carriers are placed, successively, on the transfer stages, and the wafers are taken out from each carrier and loaded onto the wafer boat, until the number of the sheets of wafers reaches a predetermined value (e.g., 100). Thereafter, each carrier, from which the wafers have been taken out, is stored in one of storage units located in the working area, then returned onto the transfer stage. After the heating process is ended, processed wafers will be stored again in the returned carrier.
In this manner, the apparatus provides a desired process to the multiple sheets of wafers. Therefore, the tables, each used for placing each carrier thereon in the working area, include, for example, a total of twenty units or stages, such as two load ports, two transfer stages and 16 storage units. In this case, the carriers are successively carried into the apparatus from the exterior.
A coordinate position (or position on the coordinates of a drive system) of a carrier arm, upon transferring each carrier onto each table by using the carrier arm, can be obtained by each length and/or distance of interest set in advance in a design drawing. Actually, however, because of errors associated with assembling the apparatus and/or errors in the drive system caused, such as by elongation of belts and the like, each constituting the system, the coordinate position of the carrier arm on the design drawing may be somewhat shifted from an ideal position of the carrier arm for a transfer operation. Namely, in such an ideal position, the carrier can be carried to a position accurately matched with the position of the table. However, not only upon assembling the apparatus, such a positional shift may also be caused by wear of ball screws and other like parts, due to prolonged continuation of operation of the apparatus. In order to address such problems, it is necessary for an operator to do work referred to as “teaching”, upon starting and/or maintaining the apparatus. Namely, such teaching work is required for obtaining each position of the carrier arm on the coordinates of the drive system, when the carrier arm transfers each carrier. More specifically, each coordinate position of the carrier arm can be displayed, for example, on a screen of the apparatus. Thus, the operator can move the carrier arm to each transfer position for the carrier, in accordance with a manual, while confirming the carrier and carrier arm on the screen, with the carrier being held by the carrier arm. Thus, the coordinated position of the carrier arm, at the time when the carrier arm reaches the transfer position, can be set as a carrier transfer position.
However, since the operator should do such teaching work in accordance with the manual, the carrier transfer position may include some errors and variations, depending on a degree of experience and skill of the operator and/or by mistakes of the operator upon an input operation or the like. Additionally, in the case of employing the batch-type heating apparatus as described above, there are so many (e.g., 20) units or stages installed therein and requiring the teaching work. Therefore, in such a case, the teaching work should be considerably complicated and take much time.
Patent Document 1 describes one exemplary substrate processing apparatus, while Patent Document 2 discloses a method for obtaining information on a position, to which the semiconductor wafers are carried. However, neither of these Patent Documents refers to any challenges for addressing the aforementioned problems.
Patent Document 1: JP11-314890A (Paragraphs [0010] to [0013], and FIG. 1)
Patent Document 2: JP2005-260176A (Paragraphs [0105] to [0108], and FIG. 2)